Dream of Me
by DG is Little Drummer Girl
Summary: Laurel always kept her emotions to herself, or had her own way of coping. So maybe, taking prescription pills illegally and drinking is her own way of doing so. Soon after, she has a really big fall and things become darker. Will there be someone in her life to make it all up again? T to be safe.
1. Problems

**Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow. Credit goes to the creators and DC**

**_Chapter 1: Dream of me_**

Laurel opened the door to her apartment room, walking in sloppily as if she were made out of noodles. Maybe tonight she had a little more to drink than she shouldn't have had like last time, but no one was here to tell her that. Luckily she had called a taxi.

Stumbling in she flopped onto the sofa knocking down a picture frame in the process. Picking it up she held it out in front of her. It was of Tommy Merlyn. Her Tommy. The picture had been taken at the go away party that was thrown before Oliver and Robert(Oliver's dad), had left to go overseas on the Queen's Gambit.

Tommy was holding a bottle of alcohol; wearing that familiar bright smile of his that made you want to smile back. Even though he had been tipsy, you wouldn't have to be the happiest go luckiest person in the world to know that was a real smile. Maybe she didn't harbour strong feelings for Tommy as she still had for Oliver, she still really had cared for him.

Setting the frame back down on the table she sat back in the couch looking up at the ceiling. She wanted to go to bed so freaking badly but if she did, she would have bad dreams about that fateful day when Tommy's life ended. Usually drinking had helped, only she hadn't gotten drunk enough because she couldn't go to work in the morning with a hangover. She had to stay professional. Though, she did consider taking more pills; she had ran out.

She would have to go in disguise again to get more pills. She had shocked herself when she bought depressants illegally.

It was Starling for crying out loud you can get drugs anywhere.

If only there could've been another way for her to have gotten them, but there wasn't.

She was coping the way her father once did: drinking. Only by comparison on what he did she was a lot worse, and she knew that. Behind this exterior of a nice, professional, controlled young woman who was working with the DA was depressed, sorry, and pitiful for many things and yet it didn't look like that to people. If only they'd seen inside of her.

Sure, her dad had questioned and confronted her when she had been busted driving under the influence, and Oliver had questioned her too recently. She managed to fool them into thinking she was fine.

Getting up from the couch she was barely making it to her bedroom walking straightly. After taking a hot steaming shower to sober up a bit and now in bed she felt sleep overtake her into a complicated slumber.

Laurel yawned before taking a sip of her coffee. It had been probably past eleven last night when she had gone to bed, and when she woke up at six this morning she wanted to go back to bed engulfed in her sheets and covers. She had been sniffling yawns all day and surprisingly none of her fellow workers nor Donner seemed to notice. Not only was she drastically tired from going to bed late but she had been in and out of sleep during the night.

She'd wake up and find it to be 12:00am, soon after 1:00am, then 2:30am, and 4:30am. Sleeping fully on the next two hours.

Now lunchtime coming around she was sitting outside a cafe sipping a Monster, her food choices a small garden sub, and a bag of potato chips. The morning had been some – what of a drag. She had been pinching herself nonstop during Moroi Queen's lawsuit discussion to keep herself from dozing off. After there would be more discussions about the Hood, and pretty much the regular morning that went on.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" A male voice asked.

Laurel chewed on a chip looking up. The young man had startling blue eyes, and medium brown hair, he wore a sheepish smile picking at a pin that was pinned onto his black and grey striped sweater. The pin was in the shape of a circle with two grey slashes in the middle.

"Why?" She asked curiously. There were two tables before her that were empty and thought it odd for him to ask if she would mind if he sat at her table instead of —could he sit here.

The young man smirked at her oddly before sitting down his attention now focused on across the street.

Laurel looked across the street too and didn't really see anything odd, or that sparked her interest in any way.

There was a park, community centre, bookstore, and a couple mom and pop stores, and a boutique, and pedestrians passing.

She continued to finish her lunch in silence. After a couple minutes passed, the guy was still staring across the street, she had finished her lunch throwing it away in the nearby trash can.

Laurel walked away from the table leaving the guy who hadn't even moved from the loss of her presence. He continued staring out across the street.

She walked across the street, stepping onto the crosswalk. Then stopped, her eyes widened.

_Sarah?_

She saw a young woman with blonde hair wearing that familiar cap that Sarah had owned. She was talking to a girl with black hair who wore combat boots and a black leather jacket. Blocking out traffic, she stared in wonder and shock knowing very well that might just be her sister. As if on instinct, chance, or fate the blonde woman turned and looked at her. Before Laurel could look over her facial features the young woman ran away and Laurel felt a pair of arms whisk her away roughly.


	2. If Only You Knew

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow, credit goes to creators and DC Comics._**

**Chapter 2: If Only You Knew**

Laurel opened her eyes groggily hearing the sound of traffic and people. She was startled to be staring in the familiar light blue irises that belonged to Oliver.

"Ollie?" She murmured, blinking her eyes.

"You could've been killed." He sounded pissed but his look was full of concern.

She winced slightly as Oliver helped her sit up on the pavement. Laurel could feel a headache coming on.

She then remembered.

She'd possibly seen her sister Sarah, then blank.

Her face turned into a hard scowl remembering Oliver was here; she admittedly still felt embarrassed from that night she had tried sleeping with him and being rejected.

"I'm fine," she said irritated, getting up off the ground. "I don't need help, I need to go back to work."

Oliver sighed. "Laurel, you don't look fine. Get in my car, I'll take you."

He took her arm and led her to his car. But before he made her get into the vehicle she yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I'll take a taxi."

"Umm, excuse me," the guy from the cafe was standing about ten feet away from them, her purse in his hand holding it out to her. "you forgot your purse."

Laurel smiled gratefully. She walked over to him and took her purse. "Thanks, I don't know what I would've done when I realised I didn't have my purse with me."

He chuckled and held out his hand. "Names Darren."

"Laurel." She shook his hand.

Oliver didn't like this one bit. And it had only been a simple greeting. Still, what bothered him the most was she smiled. A real genuine smile, and he hadn't gotten one of those in a long time. She had been frowning a while ago, and then just now smiling at this stranger?

He walked over to the young man, not caring if he didn't ask for an introduction he held out his hand. "Oliver Queen."

"No need to introduce yourself," said Darren, not shaking his hand. "I already know who you are. You're the CEO of Queen Consolidated."

Olive dropped down his hand smiling mildly at Darren. "Yes, nice to meet you too Darren."

Then he took Laurel's hand and surprisingly Laurel didn't let go. "Now, Laurel don't I need to take you to work?"

Laurel nodded curtly and smiled at Darren who had been looking at her intently with a smirk.

"So," he said, "want to go out for lunch some time?"

Laurel didn't even have to look at Oliver's face to see how he felt. His grip on her hand tightening explained it.

"Sure." She ran her fingers inside the pocket of her salmon coloured blazer. Once she located and got her phone out of the pocket she went to her contact list. Despite Oliver holding her right hand she could still, nonetheless, use her left hand.

Therefore, Darren and her exchanged phone numbers, never seeming to acknowledge Oliver's existence. Again.

After she said one more goodbye to Darren she got in the passenger side of Oliver's car while Oliver got in on the other side.

He started the engine driving to the DA building.

There was silence succumbing in the car. Nothing but the humming of the car filling in the unfathomable silence. And in that silence Laurel unexpectedly drifted off to sleep.

**##########**

**##########**

Laurel awoke and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around her room, it still looked like broad daylight. But one problem, it wasn't her room. It was Oliver's room, she was in his bed, and she was in an old T-shirt of his that was about an inch above her knees. She couldn't help but think Oliver had been the one to undress her. Aside from that though, she did still have on her undershirt that had went with her outfit.

Then letting that all sync in she realised she didn't go back to work. After lunch she didn't go back to work! She broke into a panic and was about to grab her clothes–that had been laying on the arm chair in front of the unlit fireplace–and dash to the bathroom but, a voice stopped her.

"So, you slept well?"

Laurel turned around and glared at Oliver. He was standing in the doorway his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"I thought you were taking me back to the office?" She asked with pure disdain her arms crossed below her chest.

Oliver smirked and shrugged. "I thought so too but you fell asleep and you didn't wake up."

Laurel hid her surprise and sighed in frustration her hand on her forehead.

"And you still didn't wake me?"

He tilted his head to seem like he was in thought. "I did, but you never woke up. I yelled your name, pinched you lightly, shook you. Nothing."

_Uh-oh_, Laurel thought. _This is unprofessional._

She looked up the clock on the wall. It read 3:30pm. "I can still go back to work if I just–"

"Shh." Oliver walked over to her and touched her shoulder reassuringly. "I called the DA building and told Donner you wouldn't be coming in for the rest of the day because you got caught up in something and you'll be back in the morning."

That didn't make her feel any better. She switched over to DA, she told them she were up for the job, and she was the best there could be on the job. Not. Calling in for getting caught up in something, and not explaining the reason why and how she got caught up in something. Plus, out of all diabolical things Oliver called in for her. Oliver Queen. Infamous Playboy. CEO of Queen Consolidated. Careless billionaire who doesn't attend meetings, doesn't help the glades, and not being worth anyone's time. Her former boyfriend.

She now really wanted to scream and cry.

"Oliver," she said stoically, "I need to go to work."

But as stubborn as she knew her ex-lover could be he shook his head slowly. "You can't Laurel, what you need to do is tell me what's going on."

Laurel didn't have a reaction to what he had at that moment said.

"I need to go back to work."

Before Oliver could say anything else, suddenly there was a vibrating sound. It came from Laurel's purse that was on the nightstand.

She walked over to where her purse was vibrating, unzipped the bag, and fished out her cell phone. Her state of panic was really going to reach MAX when she looked at the caller I.D. It was her father.

Resisting the urge to not look at Oliver she pressed the answering button and held the phone to her ear.

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**_DG: Thank you. For the reviews, faves, and _follows**. :)


	3. Ready or Not

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Arrow. DC and shows creators**

**Chapter 3: Ready or Not**

"Hello?"

"Laurel, sweetie," Officer Quentin said in a steady voice, "where are you?"

"I-I'm at Oliver's."

"Ah, why the hell are you there?" His voice now sounded angry.

Laurel took the phone off her ear and said a quick prayer before putting the phone back to her ear.

"Dad, he just needed to talk to me about the case. No, biggy." She knew she was the person saying these things to her father but then again, she wasn't.

Normally she wouldn't have put herself out to be careless and gullible she would've effectively tried preventing any assumptions and scrutiny.

"No biggy?" He sounded like he became more angry, "you know very well Laurel it is a big deal. I'm not trying to follow you on your job whereabouts but kid, you have enough sense to know you've probably, now, have jeopardized your job."

Laurel gasped falling to the floor, she hadn't realized that. To have jeopardized her job in DA would suck. She still wanted, in a way, to catch-did he go by Arrow now? The Hood but she was the one who killed Tommy. Doing another indifferent thing she hung up her phone. On her father.

She stared down at the floor trying to comprehend on how this all happened.

She went out to lunch. Saw her sister Sarah. Nearly became road kill but was saved by Oliver. Fell asleep in Oliver's car. And ended up in Oliver's bed;missing work. She needed to leave.

"Laurel."

Hadn't realized Oliver was crouching in front of her she looked up slowly her scowl returning. "What?"

She wanted to leave, now.

Oliver touched her shoulder staring into her eyes. "Laurel, I don't know what it is but... Have you been doing alright?"

"I'm fine, like I said. I'm going now." She stood up, and put her phone back in her purse slinging it over her shoulder. Her clothes still in her hand she walked out of the room ignoring Oliver.

"Returning this shirt will probably most likely be a never," she said to herself while walking quickly down the steps hoping to reach the front door before Oliver could stop her.

Fairly, she hadn't thought her day would be going like this.

But unexpectedly he hadn't seemed to have chased her because when she opened the door and walked outside he was standing before her, leaning against the car smirking, with Diggle right beside him.

_Shit._

"Laurel," Oliver said mildly, "get in the car, Digs and I'll take you home."

She felt stupid. Ridiculously stupid. Clad in Oliver's t-shirt she was right this second putting on her heels, making her look more ridiculously stupid, then her coat wich helped the stupidness go down a little.

Managing to put on a blank face expression to conceal her dumbfounded look she slid in the backseat of the black vehicle, Oliver getting in after.

Still feeling a little stupid she turned her head to the right to look out the window, and somehow her eyes locked on Oliver's. His eyes filled with concern spoke to her asking: _are you okay?_

_I'm not sure," _she wanted to reply. She honestly didn't know, she stared ahead trying not to make any eye contact with him.

Oliver began to speak but surprisingly Laurel rested her head against his shoulder and kind of snuggled against him and he put his arm around her.

Regardless of him knowing Laurel was hiding some things,and he knew something was wrong with her, right now he only wanted to savor this moment with her. Comforting her and stroking her hair while Diggle drove to her residence.

**####**  
**####**

Taking a deep breath while closing the door she immediately looked at the wig that was on her countertop. After awhile she'll go get an order. No matter how bad she wanted to go now.

Trying to take her mind off that she took her i-phone out from her pocket and seen to have multiple missed calls from her father. Upon seeing that she felt anger well up inside her.

_What does he need to say now?_

_That I've been fired from my job?_

_He's coming to see me right now?_

_We need to go out for lunch?_

Scrolling down more on her call log she saw a missed call from Darren. Darren Reed. The guy she met at lunch right before she was given a ride to work by Oliver.

License suspension sure is a bummer.

Staring at his name for what seemed like forever she decided to call him later, right now she had other things to think about. Like right now, she needed to call her Boss who's most-likely, consequently, thinking of firing her.

Grabbing her phone from the coffee table she dialed the digits to the DA's office.

**####**

**####**

Oliver surveyed the alley for any chances of spotting Roy Harper. Even though he thought of Roy as a nuisance in a way, the kid knew his stuff. No denial in that.

When he told him to be his eyes and ears in the glades he, as the Arrow, thought that would work out effectively. It has, but tonight he didn't need to see Roy because of that matter, he was giving him an order. A request.

As soon as he saw the red hooded teen boy he launched an arrow at the building counterclockwise to him.

Like he thought, Roy turned around and looked up at him. "I haven't heard anything, what do you want?"

Arrow sighed and stared at the ground. "Do you know who Laurel Lance is?"

"Yeah, I know who she is," Roy replied with a shrug. "She's on works with the Defense Attourney on the Moira Queen case, or something along those lines. Why?"

"I need you to go and check on her. To see what she's up to, because I've been hearing things about her that have surprised me and I need you to snoop around."

Oliver knew it wasn't the best lie nor excuse, notwithstanding, he wouldn't want the red hooded teen finding out his true identity.

"Wait," said Roy suspiciously, "you want me to snoop around Laurel Lance's apartment-who is daughter of Quentin Lance, who works in DA, and could send me to prison in a split second. I-I haven't been hearing anything off about her. Not having to do with the law. What have you heard?"

"Doesn't matter. You still want to help me out, do this." He said coldly, not wanting to admit to himself Roy had got him. Once. Just once though.

The teen shrugged. "Whatever, I'll get the job done."

_**Author's Note:**__** Sorry, if anyone seemed a bit OOC-ish. I've been boycotting Arrow for a bit. Just those two last episodes before the mid-season finale. My bad, if my character portayals are 'off'. Also chapters will get longer when the story starts progressing. Anyway, thanks for the follows, reviews, and faves.**_


	4. Pre-Canary Fights

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Arrow, any of the characters, or anything DC.**

**Chapter 4: Pre-Canary Fight**

Laurel took off the wig and eyed the bottle with anguish standing at her apartment door, haven't opened it yet. She was deciding whether or not to return these pills or not. Beginning to open the door she realized someone was in her bedroom when she found her lights to be on.

Thinking this was a bit serious, especially this time of night. She walked into the kitchen and opened the drawer that contained the gun she had a license for.

"Dammit!" She cursed quietly, "I forgot I took it to the shop to get fixed."

Apparently, when your father stops by wanting to teach you more gun maneuvers, he'll break it when trying to put in new bullets.

_No, Laurel, all is not lost. You'll fight. Remember what Sandra told you, _She thought as she grabbed the scrunchy from the drawer below. She tied her hair into a ponytail to get her hair out of her face, and walked slowly around the apartment. Looking into her bedroom she found a guy rummaging through her drawers. He wore a red mask and a red hoodie. His hair a brown

"What the..." Laurel didn't wait a second. She ran up from behind the intruder and strikes.

He grunted in pain, his body slamming against the nightstand.

Laurel smiled vaguely knowing this was going to be an easy fight. She jumped up kicking him in the chest causing him to lose his balance, straightaway knowing the guy was on the floor.

The intruder still trying to recover from the blow, she then went in for another kick. Before her foot could make contact with his body though, he kicked speedily under her. Resulting in her body slamming against the wall.

Laurel clenched her side absentmindedly just as she got up quickly dodging his blows.

The intruder used his fore-fist striking her in the side.

Doubling back ignoring the pain, she put her fist in a similar fashion equivalent to the karate chop, hitting his neck.

"You know," he said as he dodged a strike from her, 'you don't fight so bad for a lawyer."

"And you fight very poorly when breaking into someone's home," she said before she used the Eagle Strike, moving her hand upward with her wrist slamming it above his jaw. When she heard a 'crunch' sound she grinned.

Laurel knew she was going to have a few bruises but his jaw was broken, and that was enough for himself to be opened for any attack.

When he touched his jaw, rubbing it in mild agony she jumped on his back, wrapped her legs around his neck, body slamming him on the floor.

"Ah, shit... I don't think he'll be happy to know she kicked my ass," He mumbled groaning.

Laurel Lance shook her head, her arms crossed.

"So," she said setting her foot on his chest harshly, "the first thing you're going to tell me is who is this 'he' you're talking about."

"Um... he's this guy who wanted me to look through your place," he said breathing hard.

"But why?" She knelled down staring into his feyes, her foot still on his chest. "There is a reason for everything."

"He said he heard some weird things about you.. I don't know. Wanted me to check out your place to find some things"

Laurel knew he was beating around the bush in an odd way. The person who told him these; sent him these instructions, didn't do a very good job.

"Who told you to do this?"

The guy fidgeted a little. "I can't tell you that... aren't you going to call the damn cops on me?"

"No." She stared into his blue eyes knowing very well who this young man was. She was going to let him go but he needed to reveal one thing. " I just need to know one thing. Who's the guy who sent you to do this? If you don't dare to tell me, then your mask will be off and I'll know who you are."

The guy relaxed and turned his head to where he wasn't staring at her. Sighing, he shook his head the best he could. "I can't tell you that. Take off the mask."

And with that being said she did take off the mask.

"Roy you're better than this!" She exclaimed. "Why would you steep this low to getting orders from bad guys and acting out on them?"

Roy still didn't look her straight in the eye. "Can I get up now. I mean, you already know who I am. No use in trying to hold me down."

Laurel rolled her eyes and stood up walking out the room. She really needed those pills but she wouldn't dare let Roy see them. It's bad enough he already knows she can hold her ground in a fight.

"Let's go to the hospital for your jaw. It already looks like its swelling up," she said to Roy who'd been rubbing his jaw that'd become a purplish-blue. She put on her trench coat, grabbed her apartment key, and opened the door walking out the apartment.

"I'm surprised I can still talk." he said following behind her.

**####**

**####**

" What happened?!" Thea asked in alarm walking over to Laurel. "Can he not stay out of the hospital?"

"Thea," Laurel said soothingly, "it's fine. He just broke his jaw in some fight."

The teen girl gave her a look of skepticism. "Fine Laurel? Who did he get in a fight with? What was the fight about?"

"I don't particulary know... but Roy said they won't be coming back to hurt him anymore."

Thea's shoulders relaxed. She sat down in a seat beside her and rested her head against the wall.

"Your hair is up." She said to her, clearly surprised.

Laurel flushed. "Does it look wierd. I did'nt have time to straighten-"

Thea smiled. "No, its just that I haven't seen you wear your hair up since I was ten. It looks nice."

"Yeah, wanted to try something new." She chuckled a bit. _That wasn't suspicious at all Laurel,_ she thought to herself.

After a couple minutes of silence Thea spoke.

"Laurel, he told me he wouldn't get himself in these situations all the time... and he's been good on that. But it's like Trouble can't stay away from him. I just don't know what to do anymore."

"Thea," Laurel replied putting her hand on her shoulder, "Roy seems like a good person, and whatever situation he's in he'll handle the best way he can. Maybe, he gets himself into unsecessary situations but he's a good kid. You said it yourself, he's been following up on his word."

"Barely," she grumbled.

"Thea-"

"So what's happened to Roy this time?" Oliver Queen asked walking in, arms crossed. His expression come off as annoyed but showed hints of concern.

"He broke his jaw," Thea replied.

His expression turned into a skeptical one.

"Was he trying to eat a mento with soda, because I tried that during my younger years-"

"No," Laurel said irritably, "he wouldn't try your stupid stunts and follow your examples... he got into a fight."

Oliver frowned. "Oh... with whom?"

"We don't know. Laurel said they won't come back."

"Laurel-" he began.

"Um, I have to be leaving. They need me at the DA office," Laurel smiled faintly. She held her phone, acting as if she had at that moment received a text or some alert from a co-worker. "If you two need me, call."

Thea nodded staring down at her lap, while Oliver gave her an quizzical face expression. _"Okay."_

She nodded and then walked down the hall.

Turning a left she immediately fastened her steps. She knew Roy being in the hospital and all was really suspicious, and the explanation on why he got injured and ended up in the hospital was baloney. So, from now on she knew to stay away from Roy, Thea, Oliver, and anyone affiliated with them.

She smiled and waved to John Diggle who was just walking in as she exited the hospital.

At that moment when she took her wallet out of her purse for a Taxi ride she now knew where she needed to go.

To Tommy's grave.

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_**Author's Note:**__** I'd like to thank you readers', for the commentary, faves, and follows on this fanfic. Um, I'll update on Saturday or Sunday sometime. Excuse me for any writing errors, I'm still working on my writing and tried really hard on this chapter. But enough about my writing. The story plot is just beginning.**_

_**Btw, who is Sandra? *hint* birds of prey, Jade Canary**_

_**oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2014-**_


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